Carton forming device



June 27, 1933. 11 w RIPLEY 1,916,128

CARTON FORMING DEVICE Filed May 27, 1930 SSheets-Sheet l 0O Zhwentor /02 I :June 27, 1933.

D. W. RIPLEY CARTON FORMING DEVICE Filed May 27, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 #5:? P A g 5 6 5 56 32 \6/ Enventor June 27, 1933. D. w. RIPLEY CARTON FORMING DEVICE Filed May 27, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l-lllll Q Qttorneu Patented June 2?, 1933 unirsn srares PATENT OFFICE DAVID 1V. RIPLEY, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO EUGENE A.

IVLIGNACCO CAB-TON FORMING DEVICE My invention relates to a machine for forming cartons from blanks provided for that purpose, more specifically it relates to means for feeding the carton blanks separately, and from a general supply of such blanks, into a slideway adapted with cam and other movements to form the carton. The specific objects I have accomplished is the production of a device which will automatm ically and rapidly grasp one of the sides of a carton blank from a general supply of carton blanks, and-force it into a truly rectangular shapewhile being formed, the device being simple in construction, and positively and easily operated. Other objects will be hereinafter disclosed. a

In the drawings accompanying this specification Fig. 1 is a side view of the device showing the knife or blade positioned in its an path of travel at the point from which it is lowered to grasp the side of the carton. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the movement of the blade. Fig. 3 is aside View of the device as shown in Figure 1, and difiering from Figure 1 in that the elements are positioned to show the blade lowered to grasp the side ofa collapsed carton. Fig. i is a side view of the device as shown in Figure 1, difi'ering therefrom in that the elements are positioned to show the blade in position when the collapsed carton is pulled to an open position. Figure 5 is a side view of the device similar to Figure 1, and differing therefrom by showing theposition of certain elements thereof when the blade has been withdrawn from the carton. Fig. 6 is a top view of the device as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged side View of clamping means for grasping a carton blank and feeding it into a form.

Fig. 8 is a front View of the clamping means shown in Fig. 7. 9 shows the form of cam which guides the lever mechanism to function in shaping the carton. Fig. 10

shows the carton blank. Fi 11 shows an individual carton as it appears opened when drawn into the forming trough.

Referring to the drawings I have formed a supporting stand of legs 10 and top 11.

At one end of the supporting stand is formed a trough 12 which is adapted to hold a plu- 1930. Serial No. 456,243.

rality of carton blanks 13. In the device illustrated the carton blanks have the corner lines of the proposed carton weakened so that in the process of formation of the carton the cardboard will readily and sharply bend along the weakened lines. This bending forms the shape of the carton.

The device illustrated is adapted to form rectangular cartons. Each carton blank is formed so that the four sides are integral, that is each side is attached to each adjacent side. This can be accomplished with paste, staples or otherwise. The blanks are then collapsed, or flattened as shown in Fig. 10 by bending sharply at two opposite corners. In this flattened condition they are fed through trough 12. It is further noted that the carton blanksare placed in slideway 12 with the open ends at the top and bottom of the trough. The carton blanks are formed with flaps 81 at top and bottom which flaps when bent over form closures for the top and bottom.

The carton blanks in the trough aredesignated 13. When the blank is opened to form a carton it is designated herein as 130.

The inside width of trough 12 is such that the carton blanks are held approximately upright and transversely across the trough. They are easily slidable therein when packed so in that position.

A follower 14 is held against the rear end of the column of assembled carton blanks by means of a weight 15 suspended from a'rope 150 which follower has a constant uniform 85 pressure against the carton blanks, thus con stantly keeping them flush against stop 17 at the discharge end of the carton blank trough 12. Stop 17 is COIlStlHCJGd preferably of springy material and permits the carton blanks to be dragged over when slight force is applied for that purpose. Q

From stop 17 the width of the slideway is diminished to a width adapted to snugly hold the carton when the body of the carton is squared or formed rectangular. One oblique wall 121 forms the diminishing portion of the trough. The narrower, uniformly continuous, portion of said trough is designated 122. It will be noted that the entire trough 109 thus formed has one side thereof continuously straight, while the opposite side has the oblique offset portion 121, and on either side of said oblique portion the walls are parallel with the wall on the opposite side of the trough.

' The feeding mechanism consists of two flat blades, and 21, constructed preferably of springy material. These blades are positioned so two faces are adjacent to each other on approximately parallel planes except as hereinafter explained. In this relative position they are attached or held together at one end, the object being for the springy characteristics of the two blades to yieldingly grasp any object in erted between the blades. These blades should be of less width than the width of the side of the carton being formed, and are positioned on the straight side of the continuous trough formed by thewide trough 12, the diminishing portions 121 and 122.

These blades are adapted to have a movement in the form of a rectangle as hereinafter more fully explained. By the down movement the blades are positioned relative to the carton blank at the discharge end of trough 12 so forward blade 21 will be on the outside of a side of the carton blank, and on the side of the carton adjacent to the straight side of the trough. The inside blade 20 will pass on the inside of the same side of the carton blank. The side of the carton will thus be grasped between the blades. For the purpose of more readily entering the carton blank, inner blade 20 is beveled at the lower end, or has a slight bend away from blade 21 to form a wedge shape opening as can be seen in Fig. 7. The plane of the face of the blades Should be parallel to a plane transversely across troughs 12 and When the blades have graspedthe side of the carton blank they are moved forward through the diminishing portion of the slideway along the oblique wall 121 which tends to drag forward the side of the carton grasped by the blades, holding it rigidly at right angles to the plane of the parallel sides of the trough, and the adjacent sides of the carton blank are forced by the oblique wall to conform to the smaller trough being, entered. The sides will then assume a rectangular form as the side grasped by the blades is held as a guide for the other sides of the carton. and is held rigidly rectangular to the sides of the trough into which it is dragged, the corners of the carton thus formed are rectangular. This forward movement of the clamping blades pulls the formed carton into the narrow trough, 122, before the blades start on the upward movement.

The narrow trough holds the carton by friction against the sides of the carton. This friction is sufiicient so that when the blades are raised, the shaped carton remains in the narrow trough for further steps in its formation such as folding in the flaps and the blades move backward in the raised position to function on the next carton blank in line. The folding of the flaps is not described herein nor is it a part of this application.

The mechanism giving the described rectangular movement to blades 20 and 21 are as follows:

Two upright supports and 51 are attached to the frame and are positioned approximately parallel with each other. Sliding bearings 500 are formed at the top and sliding bearings 510 are formed at the bot tom of each of the upright supports. Rod 52 is adapted to slide with a reciprocating movement in said upper sliding hearings 500, and rod 53 is adapted to slide in the lower bearings 510. Rods 52 and 53 are rigidly tied together with upright posts 56 and 57, and by a diagonal brace 54. Suspended from rod 53 is a cam support 55. A blade guide slideway member 60 is attached rigidly to upright braces 56 and 57. On rods 52 and and adjacent to post- 56 are sliding bearings 61 and 610. To move the blades a sliding bar 62 is adapted to slide vertically in bearings 61 and 610. said sliding bar having an extended arm 620 at the top to which arm blades 20 and 21 are attached. Inasmuch as the actuating mechanism for moving the blades is all at one side of the machine. the arm 620 is necessary to permit the blade to he raised and lowered near the opposite side of the machine.

A horizontal reciprocating movement of the frame composed in part of rods 52 and 53 is secured from crank 65 which is actuated by pulley- 66. Crank 65 moves clockwise as shown by arrow 660. Connecting arm 67 is pivotally attached at one end, the opposite end be ng pivotally attached to the short end of hell crank 68. The bell crank is pivotally mounted to lower end 570 of upright brace 57. The long end of the bell crank is pivotally connected by link 69 to blade support 62. Cam support 55 has a cam slot 550 therein. and is positioned in the path of travel of connecting arm 67, a cam guide 670 is attached to connecting rod 67, and is adapted to travel within cam slot 550 as wheel 66 is rotated. The cam is shaped so that when the carriage is at its backward limit of travel the cam guide 670 will move down the vertical portion 551 of the cam s ot. so that for a timed period the horizontal movement of the carriage is stopped, and the reciprocating movement of connecting rod 6'? will be absorbed by the movement of the bell crank in lowering the blades to engage a carton blank. When the blades are lowered the cam will hold the bell crank rigid with the frame and move the frame, blades, and carton blank forward as hereinbefore described. lVhen the carriage has reached its forward limit of travel the cam again functions to pause the carriage movement, and again to give a reverse movement to the bell crank, raising the blade support with the attached blades, thus releasing the blades from the carton which has been carried forward and formed rectangular, and returning to repeat the operation. It will be noted that the cam and bell crank combined thus gives the carriage an intermittent back and forth motion, pausing at each end of horizontal travel to lower or raise the blades.

The path of the movement of the blade is a rectangular form as shown by the diagram in Fig. 2. In said diagram the arrow indicates the movement of carriage 560, and the blade carried thereon, when the blade is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the blade being raised. The position shown in Fig. 8 illustrates the position of the blade by arrow 101 in Fig. 2. In this position the movement of the carriage is halted, and the blade descends to engage the side of the carton directly underneath said blade. Arrow 102 in Fig. 2 indicates the movement of the carriage by which the collapsed carton is drawn forward and opened in rectangular form by the said movement as heretofore described. The position of the elements actuating the movement described is shown in Fig. 4. Arrow 103 in Fig. 2 shows the return movement of the blade from the carriage at rest, the blade being thereby released from the open carton, and being in position for the return movement of the carriage to engage another colcomplete cycle of the knife or blade corresponds to one rotation of wheel 66.

I claim as new:

In a device of the character described, the

combination of a frame, a carriage adapted to carriage, and means for intermittently moving the carriage back and forth, and intermittently moving the blade up and down, the movement of the carriage andthe movement of the blade being in a timed relation with each other, consisting of a crank, means for rotating said crank, a connecting arm pivotally attached to the crank at one end and to a bell crank at the other end, said bell crank being pivotally attached to the carriage, a

connecting rod pivotally attached at one end to the bell crank and at the other to the blade, and a cam consisting of a cam guide attached to the connecting arm, and a cam slot adapted to cooperate with the cam guide.

DAVID W. RIPLEY.

lapsed carton. This position is shown more definitely in Fig. 5. It is also noted that the 

